* Asus N61JQ Owners Lounge *

Oh thanks!
I`ll email them to ask if its really there. I`ve had some bad experience with other sellers.

 

Du kannst deutsch sprechen?

But I think we'll talk in Englich here.

I have ordered the N71JQ from Gentech. It will be shipped to Germany today.
I just checked on their website and it seems that they still have N61JQ in stock.
Maybe you can confirm it by email: [email protected]

If you want N61JQ you can order one fast. I don't know when it will run out of stock.

Ken Lee who works at Gentech is a very good guy. So far I am happy with their service.
Here is his profile: http://forum.notebookreview.com/member.php?u=34663

 

There are several already on the site, but I wanted to take a couple against my 1080p LCD that is in my "Man Cave" for contrast. It shows how the covering over the screen, which adds some light glare, can really kill heavy glare. It also tames some of the brightness.

As you can see, it is creating the recovery disks.

UPDATE: Oh, the machine isn't dirty. The camera needs cleaning. My 10 year old daughter uses it more then I do.

AGAIN: It was dirty. ACK! Also, get a couple hours ready to create the recovery disks.

 

I ordered from NCIX as well (about a week ago when they were out of stock). It should be available for pickup either this evening, or tomorrow morning. Can't wait.

I will post some pics/first impressions when I get a chance.

 

I am posting on my N61JQ-A1 that arrived not long ago by UPS. This is my first laptop and so far I Love it. I have to get some DVDR's tomorrow so I can burn the recovery discs. How many discs will it take? I am new to alot of this stuff so I will be posting questions. As far as heat goes the only part thats warm is the vent which is blowing warm air out. Now what do I need to delete as far as bloatware?

 

You will need 4 single layer dvd's to burn the recover discs.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=380681 - Should help you decided what to lose and what to keep.

 

If ordering in Canada, NCIX and Canada Computers have the A1 in stock, while Newegg.ca has the X1 in stock.

Also might want to try MicroBytes in Montreal, they might have them in stock?

 

So... was thinking of upgrading my N61JQ-X1, Which do you think would be a better upgrade? 320GB HHD 7200rpm --> 80GB SSD MLC harddrive. or 4GB DDR3 1066 ---> 8GB DDR3 1066? Gaming and performances wise.

PS: also wondering if I'm able to use one 4GB DDR3 1333 with a 2GB DDR3 1066 for ram. or do I need the same speed rams?

Sry for being such a noob. I'm kinda a new owner to laptops, not really sure what I can do with them yet.

 

Just got my ASUS N61JQ-X1 in today and removed the bloatware so far and upgraded some stuff. Was setting up my second monitor and got the blue screen of death and then it rebooted and worked fine after that. For some reason it would not let me make the laptop monitor #1 but after the reboot it would. Oh well.

Here it is.

 

If I had to pick I'd choose the ram, but that's only because I'd be limited to 80 GB HDD space. If that's enough for you then I'd go for the SSD hands down. There's not a whole lot of purpose to having more than 4 GB of ram now unless you're doing some heavy multitasking.

Also, you can mix ram speeds, but I believe they will only run at the speed of the slower module. So if you do decide to go the RAM route it would probably be best to get 8 GB of 1066 instead of 4 GB 1333 and 2 GB 1066, unless you plan to upgrade to all 1333 down the road. The performance difference between 1333 and 1066 in very minor though.

 

Alright, so the thing with visa. I was reading up on it and I'm not quite sure how it works. I bought mine X1 with my CIBC visa from newegg.ca. Would the 1 extra year of warranty apply to me? I also live in Vancouver. Which store did you get it from? Some stores have it listed for really low prices. I think i've seen one for 1110 for A1.

 

What's your impression of the Resolution with the 16"?

p.s. your pix are a little small

 

Hey Xismo, I'm also in Vancouver. I'd recommend NCIX, A-Power, and Generic Computers. I do not have a Visa, so can't speak about that. They're probably all the same price. If one is a bit higher, just mention competitive price and they'll match; I've seen $1149 but call. Be careful, some advertise low price but that is for cash sale; with credit card they increase price by 3%. That is a real cost to them but just make sure you ask so you know. Go with who you feel comnfortable with. Supposedly ASUS has 2 approved repair centers around Vancouver, but don't know who they are yet. I prefer buying from someone I can meet face-to-face as opposed to anonymopus internet - everything else being the same.

 

Photobucket has become stupid so I just replaced the pics but it would not let me post them on here and instead became links so oh well.

The resolution is great for me since I am coming from a Gateway MX6453, lol. I love this laptop so far. I just ordered a set of HDMI cables to transfer to my hdtv instead of the current rgb.

 

Go for the 80GB hard drive, the levels will load faster.

Games are not going to see any difference with more than 4GB of Ram. I'd say probably in two years then you'll start to see benefits from more than 4GB ram in games.

 

thx for the info... I ususally don't have more than 60 GB, I'm not big on mp3s or anything... so I will prolly go for the 80GB SSD. I kinda like the idea of being able to do fast virus scans. plus I won't need more than 4GB of ram for awhile.

 

Well, after spending the last 5 hours with this machine, I have to admit it is a really nice machine. Running the ClearType wizard took care of the display issues. It is still not as crisp as my higher resolution screens, but it is nice and bright. Images look really good.

I love the chiklet style keyboard with the number pad. It takes a little getting used to positioning your hands on a laptop keyboard with a numeric keypad when it is in your lap, but it is extremely comfotable when placed in front of you on a table.

The multi-touch trackpad is going to take a while to get tweeked properly. It is much more zoom sensitive then my mackbook for pinching and tends to zoom when I am trying to scroll. Not something that I remember ever having happen on the macbook.

It does have a more plastic feel then all of my other laptops but, it still seems very sturdy.

Unlike many of my other laptops, you do not feel the heat on this machine unless you put your hand in front of the fan. Though, I haven't taxed it too heavy yet.

The raw performance on this machine is amazing. Everything just flies.

I am going to bring it to work with me tomorrow and install Visual Studio 2008. Once I am handling heavy text, I will get the best feel for the display.

 

change your status msg, bro! and congratulations!

 

The X1 is still $999 and in stock at amazon. But remember X1 1year warranty 320gb hd.

 

tarlyn, On my N 61 it lists 3 options IDE,AHCI, and yes RAID. Why would the
N61 with only1 hard drive give an option for raid. And the N71 with 2 hard drives not give you that option?

 

hey all, just an update....i am still LOVING this machine....runs everything flawlessly....

incredible bang for buck.
Runs crysis beautifully
key board is awesome
just a great machine...

i have some questions...related to the warranty, and RAM

1. i ordered mine from xotic....where can i get my receipt to send in my warranty card?
2. sometimes i check my RAM status and it says its running 50% (2GB) on mine just when im running Firefox.....is this normal...and if it isnt how can i find what processes can i stop?

thank you and again this lappy is AWESOME!!!!

thanks

mike

 

Hey guys I finally got my laptop in!!!! It is running great...spent a couple hours getting it all setup. I am downloading all my games via steam right now. I have noticed where the exhaust is at...it does get pretty warm. I think this is normal. I have not gotten over 68C yet on the processor. Whats a good program 2 pick up readings on the GPU ? I will play some games tomorrow and find out what kind of max temps I am reading.

 

I can speak to number 2, Windows 7 loads the most common apps you use in to memory so it will seem like it's using more RAM than say Windows XP. Vista had a similar caching feature. Basically it learns your behaviors after a couple of boot cycles and then attempts to predict the app you're most likely to load. It loads the programs you use most often into RAM in anticipation that you'll be loading it soon. I wouldn't start worrying until it started paging. Hey you bought all that RAM your OS better use all of it the best it can. Windows XP did this a little bit but not anywhere near as good as Vista and Windows 7.

 

I use Real Temp for the processor and AMDGPUClockTool for the GPU. I heard everest ultimate could do it but the version I got didn't.

 

The Asus N61JQ-X1 comes with a bunch of firmware. Is there any way to remove them manually? or Do I have to find a Windows 7 installation disk and re-install Windows 7? Also if I use a recovery disk will all the firmware still be reinstalled?

 

EDITED: I posted this at the N71JQ Owners' Lounges, but for the info I will post it here also.

I had a look for the intel HM55 Chipset, and I think it does not support RAID. It only support AHCI mode.

Only PM55 chipset has a support for RAID.

So this means either the N61JQ comes with PM55 which is highly unlikely or if it has HM55 as ASUS specs says then the RAID option in the bios does not make any sense.
Except if ASUS adds separate RAID controller in the N61JQ.

Here is a link from Tomshardware comparing all the chipsets: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mobile-core-i5-arrandale,2522-4.html

If you have a look at the intel website, you will also see that HM55 specs do not mention RAID where as PM55 mentions it.

Intel webpage with PM55 specs: http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/chipsets/pm55/pm55-overview.htm

Intel webpage with HM55 specs: http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/chipsets/hm55/hm55-overview.htm

 

Glad to hear everyone is having a good first experience with their N61JQ. I can't wait to get mine in.

As for you question to Xotic, Theatre, I'd just email them directly or PM Justin on these boards. I ordered mine from them and they have been extremely helpful. I've asked them questions not even related specifically to this laptop and they were happy to help. Heck, Justin (the owner of Xotic) even PM'ed me to check up on my order. He wasn't even my salesperson or anything, he must have just seen my signature or something and wanted to check on its status to make sure everything has been progressing ok. Best experience I've had with an online sale thus far!

 

Get a Pogo Plug, I just got mine the other day and love it. I wanted one since the first gen. models came out but never had a true need for it. I didn't want to fill my new laptop up with my 130GB of MP3's and the tons of pics and video I have plus intend on getting the wifey her own laptop her pretty soon also. Another awesome feature is now on my Droid I can just use the Pogo Plug App and browse and stream all my media from wherever i am at which for me is pretty freakin sweet! Also an update on my N61JQ-A1, the massive amount of snow we got here in the Dallas area has delayed my laptop to Monday for sure!

 

brochiller when are you getting yours?

 

thanks for the tips!
I called Microbytes, but no luck there.

http://www.sohodiffusion.com/ seem to have it in stock but their customer service is not available for me to make sure.

I`ll look at NCIX and canada computers NOW

 

@everyone who have received their N61JQs, and havent yet updated their signatures.

DO THAT ASAP!

 

I got mine at Xotic PC.

 

Just checked NCIX, and they're now out of stock.

Canada Computers is showing 3 available online. Also, Amazon.ca is now showing 1 available online.

Good Luck

 

I recieved my N61JQ-X1 last week from newegg.ca. Awesome machine! I went with the X1 not the A1, as in Canada the A1 is hard to get. Also I bought it with my Visa, it extends the manufacturers warranty by one year, so I got 2 years anyway; then its just the 500 GB HDD and thats not worth $100 CAD. First impressions after a week: the best buying decision I have made. I was worried about heat and poor graphics performance, however I am amazed at how it runs the games I play, ie: NFS Shift, maxed 30-50fps! Also it is so quiet and the only heat comes from the top-left case fan, the rest stays cool. It is very sturdy and I am a huge fan of the rubberized coating on the hand rest area. I was also worried about the 1366x768 res on a 16". However to save my life I would never have been able to tell the difference on this screen! It is very clear bright and enough desktop space to work.
All in all, nothing to complain about.

 

Yeah, I must not be a screen connoisseur myself, I think that screen res is pretty good. Just a bit smaller than the 1440x900 I'm using now, and on a smaller screen. I can't wait for mine to get here next week, I'll probably upload some videos of games onto Youtube for others.

 

Glad to hear you're enjoying your N61 zac! Always good to hear some positive impressions when you've just made a big purchase.

@Buttes
Some videos of games would be great, I'd really like to see what some games look like on this thing before mine gets here sometime next week.

 

The A1 is not that hard to get in canada. I ordered mine yesterday and there's only $60 difference. For the price I got anyways. And with the Visa, it depends on what kind of Visa you have. Not all types give you extended manufacturer's warranty.

 

Yeah... I'm planning on 80GB SSD. Like this one on newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211412

I notice my N61JQ comes with a 320 SATA HDD, does it also fit this SATAII? or does that have nothing to do with it?

 

SATA I and SATA II have the same hardware interface. I'm pretty sure the HDD that is shipped with with the laptop is SATA II

 

Hehe, probably won't help you much since we'd get our N61s at around the same time.

 

xismo I got mine at NCIX just picked it up this morning will give my impressions but I'm also watching the torch relay and countdown to opening ceremonies the city is really electric for the Olympics.

 

Haha oh well. I guess we'll both just have to put some up vids up then for everybody else.

 

k guys, I have just done the startup, what bloatware should I get rid of what should I keep?

 

I'm glad I'm getting my ASUS N61JQ-X1 today. Still waiting for the UPS guy... but while waiting I notice Newegg has increase the price on the ASUS N61JQ-X1 today by $100. The new price is now $1099.99. However Amazon still has it for $999.99 but who knows for how long. I think they might be going fast.

 

Did you pick it up at NCIX in Richmond? It's funny I have a friend working there and our company shops there. So I called him last night and wanted to get the A1 they had in stock and then he told me it's for somebody else. I wonder if that was you. I almost convinced him to give it to me JK

 

xismo, yeah some CC dont give you the extended warranty, thankfully my Avion card does. When I bought this a month ago the A1 was back-ordered everywhere, so for me the 500-320GB difference wasn't enough to make me wait. Either way, this machine is a beast!

 

xismo I picked it up at the Vancouver store, it very well could have been I just ordered it yesterday at lunch was told it would be in Vancouver at opening. It is a beast of a machine, it isn't much heavier than my hp pavillion 6618ca but it is a bit bigger. and only 100 times more powerful. I'm just getting it all set up, taking the useless crud off of it and putting on the stuff I use.

 

Well, the more time I spend with my N61JQ, the more I love this power. I should actually say !!POWER!! This thing is amazing.

Yes, the cleartype wizard really did take care of the font issues I was having and although it isn't as crisp as my other monitors, it has gorgeous contrast.

I did remove the D: partition and resize my C: partition. It lowered my Windows rating .1, but I could care less.

I carried it in my old leather case that I used to carry my 17" Dell XPS M1710 in and the 3 pound difference is really noticeable. My Dell was 9.5 pounds.

I have heard reports of slight keyboard flex but I am not experiencing any unless I try to break this thing in half. Can someone explain how they get it to flex?

 

My N61JQ-X1 came with a ridiculous amount of bloatware on it. Sure, some of it may be useful, but I consider everything but the software for the hotkeys and Power4gear bloatware. If anyone has any information on the rest of the stuff that came on it, I'd be glad to read it. I'm not entirely sure what everything does.

Also, any word on a larger battery? The 6-cell is kinda small.

Otherwise, beautiful notebook.

 

This should do the trick.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=380681